LOIS BRAUER obituary

WHITLASH - Lois Agnes Brauer, 81, of Whitlash died Thursday, May 11, 2006, at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle.

Her funeral will be 11 a.m. Thursday at the Whitlash Presbyterian Church with Pastor Peter Erickson officiating. Burial will follow at the Whitlash Cemetery.

Lois Agnes (Schafer) Brauer was born Sept. 4, 1924, at Great Falls to William and Mary (Rogers) Schafer, homesteaders in the Sweetgrass Hills north of Chester. Lois grew up on the family ranch near Whitlash. In her teens, she moved to Seattle, Wash., to live with her Aunt and Uncle Rogers. While there, she completed her secondary education at Queen Anne's High School, graduating in 1942. Lois returned to Montana to continue her college education in Missoula, where she studied business. In 1946, she moved back to the Seattle area and began working for the Union Oil Company. While there she met her husband-to-be, Robert J. “Bob” Brauer.

In the 1950s, Lois took a new job with the Calor Gas Company in Spokane, Wash. In 1953, she went on a vacation trip to Whitehorse, Alaska, with her folks. She became extremely ill on the trip and was eventually diagnosed with polio. While receiving medical treatment in California, Lois reunited with Bob, whose job had taken him to Los Angeles.

Lois and Bob were married on Dec. 27, 1966, at Bellevue, Wash. They owned and operated Bestco Building Specialties in the Bellevue and Issaquah communities. Bestco manufactured engraved tactile signs and identifying devices. The Brauers sold their business in 1981 and retired. In their retirement years they enjoyed traveling, including several memorable trips to Australia, England and the Panama Canal.

Although they lived in rural Redmond, Wash., during most of their married life, they continued to have close ties to the Whitlash community. After Bob died on April 8, 2000, Lois brought him back to Whitlash to be buried in the Schafer family plot.

Lois had many hobbies. She enjoyed playing cards, especially bridge. She was a good cook and liked to work in her flower beds. For many years, she and Bob had season tickets to Seattle Seahawks games. They were also fans of the Seattle Mariners. In her quiet time at home Lois enjoyed watching sports and detective shows on television. And just for the fun of it, she collected snowman figurines and paperweights.

After Bob died, Lois took in a golden lab named Molly, who has been a loyal companion and friend to her since.

Lois never recovered from polio and was confined to a wheel

chair in her later years. She coped with her illness and maintained a positive attitude. The past few months her medical condition began to fail and she was in and out of hospitals.

Lois and Bob had no children.

Lois was preceded in death not only by her parents; husband; and sister, Margaret “Margie” Engstrom, in 2002.

Survivors include her niece, Carrie Engstrom of Sammamish, Wash., who has been her caregiver for many years; nephews, Mark Engstrom of Whitlash and John Leonard of Seattle, Wash.; brother-in-law, Norman Engstrom of Whidbey Island, Wash; and five great-nieces and great-nephews.

Undesignated memorials will be given to the Whitlash Church.

Arrangements by Rockman Funeral Chapel, Chester.